Overnight fire destroys home

Updated 9:07 am, Wednesday, August 14, 2013

MONROE -- A house on Downs Road in Stevenson section of town was gutted in an early-morning fire on Wednesday.

Fire Marshal William Davin said the small house is a "total loss'' after the blaze ripped through it shortly after midnight.

Although the cause remains until investigation, Davin said that it does not appear to be suspicious in origin.

The three adults in the home when the fire broke out made it out safely before the first engine companies arrived, said Kevin Catalano, the department spokesman. Two of the residents were awake and one had gone to bed before the fire started.

Tanker trucks from Oxford and Newtown assisted Monroe firefighters, bringing in water to a section of town that is not served by hydrants.

It took about 30 minutes to knock the fire down and another hour to clear the scene, Catalano said. The last units left at 1:30 a.m.

About 40 firefighters from Stevenson, Monroe, and Stepney responded to the call, manning five engines, a ladder truck, two tankers, and a rescue truck. Tankers from Shelton, Newtown, and Long Hill firefighters provided coverage in Monroe stations in case there was another emergency call, Catalano said.

Volunteers from the Fairfield County chapter of the American Red Cross came to the scene and assisted the home's residents in finding another place to stay.